Improved machine for making paper boxes



f its finished form,

uprights, b b, of which are UNITED STATES 'PATENT QF'EICE.,

B. F. QUINBY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR. TO HIMSELF AND Gr. W. QUINBY, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVED MACHINE FOR MAKING PAPER BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters P To all whom it 'may concern.'

, Be it known that I, B. F. QUINBY, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts have invented an Improvement in the Manuacture of Boxes and other Hollow Articles from Paper-Pulp; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my invention suicient to enable those skilled. in the art to practice it.

The invention relates particularly to the manufacture of that class of paper boxes made 0f pulp to the final process of finishing such boxes (or their covers) by applying pressure and hcat to their surfaces; and the invention consists in an organization by which the box-blank, while in a soft and moist condition, is acted upon in expanding plimger, to impart and in the details of construction of a press (and mechanism adjunctive thereto) for treating such boxes to condense the ber and give to each its ultimate form and rigidity.

The drawings represent a mechanism embodying my inven ion.

A shows a plan of the machine; B, a front elevation thereof 5 O, a vertical central section.

a denotes the frame-work, between two two reciprocating` cross-heads, o d, the lower one, c, of which consists of a steam box or case, or is provided with a steam box or case, into and from which steam-pipes g g lead, said steamvbox surrounding a tube or cylinder, h, in which is a piston, i, the top of which, with the inner surface oi' the tube above it, forms (when the cross-head c is raised) a matrix for receiving and holding the blank to be pressed. The upper crosshead d carries a reciprocating tube or hollow cylinder, 7c, which extends through the crosshead, as seen at C, its lower end (projecting beyond the bottom of the cross-head) being covered by an elastic bag, I.. On the upper cross-beam f of the frame A is a water-containing cistern or tank, m, from the bottom of which an outlet, n, opens into a tube, o, which extends through a hollow stationary piston,

a matrix by an molded into box form, with reference atent N0. 89,433. dated April 27, 1869.

i p, which passes through the beam and pro-l jects down into the cylinder k, as seen at C. The tube o passes through the piston and opens into the cylinder k, provided with a valve, q, (below it,) attached to the lower end of arod, o", which rod, passing through the tube, has at its upper end a nut, s', under which is a spring, t, the lower end of which rests on a stationary lip or flange, u, while the upper end, pressing against the nut, tends to hold the valve up to its seat or the bottom of the tube. Another tube, e, also extends through the piston from the tank m, a safety-valve, fw, resting upon a valve-seat formed within the lower end of the tube, as seen at O, this valve being upon the end of a rod, w, upon whose upper end rests a weighted lever, y.

The upward movement of the lower reciproeating cross-head or steam-box is produced by a cam, a2, located on a shaft, b2, and its return. movement is eiected by a series of springs, c2. The upper cross-head is raised by the lower one, and its downward movement is effected by springs d2. On one end or on each side of the lower cross-head are hung two latch-bars, 62, each having` a latch, f2. The upper end of each latch-bar is bent, as seen at g2, and extends through a -staple or guide, h2, fixed to the upright b. Projecting from the lower cross-head are two studs or projections, '52, and when the cross-head c, in rising, strikes the cross-head d, the latch-bars are moved inwardly by the guides h2, and the latches are brought over the studs fi, thus locking the cross-heads together during their continued upward movement. When the cross -heads descend, the lower one is released from the upper, when the latch-bar bends reach the guides h2.

The operation upon the box or box blank or cover is as follows: The parts described being in their normal position, as seen in the drawings, (the top of the pistoni flush with the top of the cylinder h, and the cross-heads fully separated,) the wet or semi-pulpy semiformed box or cover is slid over the table or plate 7a2 (in line with the top of the cylinder) the top of the piston i. The with water, said water until it rests upon tank m being charged will have flowed into the cylinder k through the opening being y drops from the the tube o, filling said cylinder up to the bottom of the piston p.

As the shaft b2 begins to rotate, the cam acts upon a roller-frame, Z2, hung to the lower crosshead c, and raises the cross-head and its cylinder h. During the first part of such rise the piston i' remains stationary, a spindle, m2, depending from this piston, resting upon a plate, n2, extending through an opening, 02, in the roller-frame, the piston remaining stationary until the surface p2 of the frame strikes the plate. This movement of the cylinder relatively to the piston causes the cavity or matrix to be formed by the cylinder and piston, into which matrix the pulpy box or blank being received by the movement of the cylin- A der, the cylinder, piston, and box rise together,

and the bag-covered end of the cylinder L' enters the box in the matrix.

When the top of the cylinder 7L strikes the upper cross-head d, the latter, with its cylinder k, will rise with the cylinder 7L and piston i, and the latches]c2 will lock over the projections fiz. -As the cylinder 7c rises, the piston p is forced into it and against the column of water therein, and the pressure of the water expands the elastic bag against the box surrounding it, forcing the sides and bottom of the box'against the wall of the cylinder 7c, and the top of the piston i, which surfaces, being' heated by the steam-box, dry the box while under pressure, the pressure and heat combined setting the box into form7 so that when released from the matrix it shall hl ve reached its ultimate or perfect shape.

By means of the safety-valve and lever and weight, the pressure of the water may be regulated, excess of such pressure throwing up the valve, and allowing water to escape back into the tank.

The latches prevent the upper cross-head from yielding in an upward direction or away from the lower cross-head while the pressure is applying. Thebox havingbeen thus pressed, the continued rotation of the shaft first drops both cross-heads, releasing the box from the water-pressure, and the lower cross-head then upper, releasing the matrix from the elastic piston, and the box from the matrix. v

To carry each box over, upon, and off from the piston c', a mechanism is employed as fol lows: q2 denotes a pair of fingers projecting from an arm, r2, at the top of a rod, s2, rocking in' bearings at the front of the frame a. Near the bottom of this rod is an arm, t2, carrying a roll, u2, which, by means of a spring, o2, is held up to the edge of a cam, wz, on the shaft b2. 0n the opposite side of the uprights b is another vertical rod, m2, turning in similar bearings, and having at its top a similar arm, from which project similar fingers y2,

thisrod also having a roll-bearing arm, and a spring which holds such roll against the periphery of the cam z2.

When a box is to be pressed, and before the parts commence their movements, or while they are in normal position, the fingers y2 are in the position shown in full black lines at D, in which position, if a box-blank is pushed up against and between them, it will be centered upon the piston t', while the fingers q2 stand out at the yside of the table k2, as seen in full black lines at D. The box to be treated is now placed on the edge of the table in the path of the fingers g2, and as motion is imparted to the shaft, the cam-recess b3 comes against the roll a2, and the spring o2 causes the rod to turn, the fingers q2 sliding the box over into the fingers y2, as seen at D. The box-blank having been thus disposed, each cam forces out its arm, fingers to retreat, leaving the blank in position to be received into the matrix.

The box having been pressed into form, and the lower crosshead having again reached its normal position, the cam w2 causes the fingers y2 to advance against the box and push it to the front of the table or plate 7c, as seen at D, in position to be readily removed by the operator, the fingers then returning to their normal position, as seen at D, ready for the next box to be brought up against them by the iingers q2.

It will thus be seen that the iingers y2 have two functions-f1rst, as a stop against which to bringthe box to center it over the piston fi,

and next as a carrier to remove the formed box, while the ngers q2 act to carrythe blank in against the fingers y2.

The roller-frame l2l may be kept in position v while being lifted by the cams, by connecting it to the rear part of the frame a by a link, c3, as seen at C.

The shaft b2 is represented as geared to a driving-shaft, d3, by gears e3 f3. The gear f3 is yloose upon the shaft d3, and has a clutch, g3, by which it is connected with a sliding clutchpulley, h3, rotating with the shaft d3. With the clutch-pulley h3 a shipper-fork, i3, connects, this shipper-fork extending from a shaft, k3, j'ournaled in the frame c. At the front of the -shaft is a pedal, Z3, by depressing which the clutch-pulley is connected with the gear-clutch, the pedal being fastened down by a button, m3. Upon turning up this button a spring, n3, instantly draws back the slide-clutch, thus causing arrest of movement of the shaft b2 whenever necessary, as will be readily understood.

In making very small boxes, the water may be let into the cylinder 7c under the piston p, instead of carrying it through the tube o.

I claim- 1. The combination of the reciprocating ma-V trix-cylinder 7L and its piston 'i with the recipro-v cating-cylinder 7c and its elastic bag or former l, expanded by fluid-pressure, substantially as described. 2. In combination with the hollow piston p, the water-containing tank m, the pipe o and its valve q, and the tube o and its safety-valve w, arranged to operate substantially as .described. v

causing each pair of 3. In combination with the reciprocating matrix-cylinder and its piston i, and the piston or plunger cylinder k, the fingers q2, for carryingthe blank into position over the piston i, and the ngers y2, for arresting the blank and for removing the finished boX, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the matrix or cylinder h, elastic bag or former l, fluid-cylinder k, and piston p, the mechanism for locking the parts together, substantially as. described.

5. In combination with the matrix-cylinder h, the steam-box c, forimparting heat thereto, substantially as described.

6. A machine so organized that a semipulpy or moist and soft box-blank is operated upon, While in a matrix, by an expanding plunger, to perfect its shape, substantially as described.

B. F. QUINBY.

Witnesses FRANCIS GOULD, S. B. KIDDER. 

